We chat with author Kritika H. Rao about The Legend of Meneka, which is a luscious, exhilarating fantasy inspired by one of the most famous romances in Hindu mythology— the story of a celestial dancer tasked with seducing a human sage, but when she finds herself falling for her mark, she will be forced to choose between loyalties and being true to herself.
Hi, Kritika! Can you tell our readers a bit about yourself?
Sure! I am a science-fiction fantasy author, a mom of two, and an immigrant. I grew up in India, Oman, and have lived in Australia and now live in Canada. My worldview and stories are defined by my lived experiences, and I am usually more interested in good questions than easy answers. I seek closure in life desperately, which I know seems counterintuitive to the “good questions” bit, but that’s the conflict of my existence and the defining trait of the books I write.
When did you first discover your love for writing and stories?
Probably as soon as I started reading, or maybe even before that when I’d listen to stories my parents would read to me. I remember writing my first story when I was in 3rd grade, and growing up, I wrote a lot for youth magazines and newspapers. I always knew I wanted to be an author; there has been no other persistent identity that has haunted me all my life like that of being a writer. For a good chunk of my early life it felt like this insurmountable thing to achieve, to get an agent, to be published—to actually be able to inhabit the identity I wanted for myself. It’s a bit surreal to think this is my life now.
Quick lightning round! Tell us:
- The first book you ever remember reading: Probably some Amar Chitra Katha comic!
- The one that made you want to become an author: No specific book, it was more the tradition of storytelling. But Agatha Christie’s work comes to mind.
- The one that you can’t stop thinking about: Currently? Crimson Moth! It ended on a huge cliffhanger and I’m dying to read the sequel.
Your latest novel, The Legend of Meneka, is out January 21st! If you could only describe it in five words, what would they be?
Sensual, romantic, empowering, feminist, thoughtful.
What can readers expect?
An enemies to lovers romance, betrayal, intrigue, gods, discussions of philosophy and ethics, and cosmic power dynamics. The book has an empowered female MC, and a mysterious male MC, spice and yearning, high stakes, and a sacred mission at the heart of it. But if you’re asking who the book is really for, I would say that this book is for readers who are interested in love, who want to understand themselves and their role within love, and their own choices for who they can be.
Where did the inspiration for The Legend of Meneka come from?
I’ve grown up around the myth of Vishwamitra (Kaushika) and Meneka—this story is one of the most beloved love ballads in Hindu culture. The edges of her story are commonly known in Hinduism—that she was sent by Indra to seduce Kaushika in order to thwart him, but instead fell in love with the sage and they lived happily together for a time before he found out about her seduction. Yet despite these stories, Meneka has been oft ignored in mythology; the story is always from Kaushika’s perspective and a part of his journey into becoming a great sage. Meneka herself is simply a side-quest plotline, when to me she seemed like such a great influence on him. I wanted to give Meneka space to be part of her own legend, and that is where the story came from!
Were there any moments or characters you really enjoyed writing or exploring?
Indra was super fun to write. Bombastic, bit of a showman, capricious as gods are wont to be, conflicted about his place in Hindu cosmology, powerful and handsome and wanting desperately to be loved, yet going about it in such a childish way… He’s an incredible character. Beyond that though, writing Shiva was very profound personally for me. To this day, no matter how many times I read the scene between Shiva and Meneka, it brings me to tears.
Can you tell us a bit about your process when it comes to worldbuilding?
It begins a lot with understanding theme, for me. For THE LEGEND OF MENEKA, it was about really probing into the theme of duality inherent within Hinduism, and it pervades the book. Meneka loves her dance, but hates how it is used. She loves the art of seduction, but despises what it does to her marks, without choice and consent. She loves Amaravati, but abhors some of the rules. She is devoted to Indra, but not in the way he—and others—think one should be. She falls for Kaushika, but sees that he is dangerous, and troubled, and capable of terrible things.
Worldbuilding this book really came from understanding all this—that a thing in and of itself can be an instrument of great joy and great evil—and she it is in having choice, and exercising it, that one can truly find any meaning.
In many ways, this ties in with Shiva’s cosmology too, one which is a defining theme within the book—the idea of paradox built into these elements. Shiva too is both the god of asceticism, and the erotic one—he is constantly reconciling two different things at the same time, even unto holding the most dangerous poison within his throat to not destroy the universe, even when he is The Lord of Destruction. He is always in perfect balance. It is this balance that Meneka seeks when she thinks about her dance, her life, and herself. And this balance is wrought within the fabric of the world.
Did you face any challenges whilst writing? How did you overcome them?
I struggled with this story a lot, I’ll freely admit. I had a hundred decisions to make in retelling a beloved myth —which characters to give prominence to, which stories to highlight, which gods to acknowledge, and which philosophies to ignore. On the flip side, there were many blanks to fill too—especially about Meneka herself. There is so little known of her, beyond the fact that she was beautiful and sent to seduce Kaushika, that she was little more than a misty silhouette to me. The legends surrounding her—in stories of Kaushika and Indra were boisterous—but she herself was quiet, and this book showed me who she was in my own mind, and who she could have been in mythology too. I spoke to not just to priests and academics of Hinduism, but also went back to the Puranas—ancient encyclopaedic work full of Hindu cosmology, gods, goddesses, and philosophy—to seek stories about the apsara and who she was.
What’s next for you?
I’m finishing up THE RAGES TRILOGY this year, which is nerve-wracking and exciting. And then, I’ve been noodling with a YA idea and a spec-fic novel and dragons, always dragons. Let’s see which one lands on the pages!
Lastly, what books are you looking forward to picking up in 2025?
Rebel Witch by Kristen Ciccarelli, Scorpion and the Blossom by Amélie Wen Zhao, Emily Wilde’s Compendium by Heather Fawcett are all on my list!
